It was Supposed to be a Family Vacation
by n1c0le
Summary: It was supposed to be a family vacation, but with new found feelings between Derek and Casey, there's not much family about a week at the beach. DerekCasey.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _This is my first submission to I've never written a LWD story. Please begentle on me, lol. Review if you can, I'd greatly appreciate knowing anyone is actually reading this!_

_I don'town Life With Derek or anything pertaining to it._

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I never asked for a brother.

When Mom was pregnant, I prayed that it would be a girl. Thankfully, I got Lizzie. When Mom and Dad decided that they were set with just two kids, I was silently relieved.

Just a few years later, and now I have TWO brothers.

I was happy for Mom when she had started dating again. After Dad left, she had been so torn up that I really thought that she would be miserable forever. So when she met George, I was so glad to see that sparkle in her eye again. She totally came to life.

Then, we had to meet his kids.

George and Mom had figured that Derek and I would get along great since we were the same age and in the same grade. They couldn't have been more wrong.

Derek and I are COMPLETE opposites. I'm mature, he's not. I take things seriously, he doesn't. I am quite nice and sociable, he isn't. We're such polar opposites that it's like we are from totally different planets.

From the beginning, Derek discouraged me to the point where I wanted to rip the hair out of my head and scream. He always has something to say, and usually it's not of any intelligence. He's always in my business. He butts in to my life way too much. He constantly finds these little ways to just drive me completely insane.

"He's just teasing you," Mom would tell me, wanting me to lighten up on him. "He IS your brother now."

"I didn't get a brother, I got DEREK," I scoffed, and stomped my way back to my bedroom.

I slammed my bedroom door for emphasis and flopped down onto my bed. Life was so much more uncomplicated without Derek. I closed my eyes, letting myself space out. I could barely remember what it was like before Derek, when it was just Mom, Lizzie, and me.

I never thought I would look at Derek as more than an annoying, selfish, cocky guy whose father my mother just happened to marry.

I guess I was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for the kind reviews! The more I know people are reading it, the more I want to write, lol. So here's the next chapter, now in Derek's POV. Enjoy and please review!_

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It was hard for me to eat my breakfast with a wiggly Marti on my lap. 

"_Shmeeeeeereeeek_!" she sang as she bounced and I spilled my spoonful of Cheerios on the floor. I sighed in exasperation.

It was close to noon on a Saturday morning. I, of course, had just woken up and was trying to eat my cereal. Nora and Dad had announced then that we were having a "family meeting." This was the first one of those that I had heard of.

Edwin and Lizzie came inside from the backyard and Marti had jumped into my lap, wearing a fairy costume. Casey came down from upstairs, and I stuck my tongue out at her, complete with a mouthful of chewed-up Cheerios.

"Ew, Derek! You're so gross!" she exclaimed, disgusted, and sat down across from me.

I grinned.

Once everyone was assembled, Nora began. "George and I have been thinking of a way that we all can really bond as a new family."

Oh boy, here we go. I rolled my eyes and attempted to get another spoonful of cereal. Marti fidgeted and cereal splattered on the chair this time.

"And we know that summer vacation starts in just one week," Dad added.

"Right. So we decided on a family vacation!" Nora smiled brightly, and my Dad wrapped an arm around her.

The five of us kids just stared at the two of them.

"Where?" Lizzie asked, looking very apprehensive.

"To the coast," my Dad answered, looking pleased with himself. "Your mom and I rented a beach house for a week. The weather is supposed to be incredible next week. And the MacDonald-Venturi Household is going to spend it together in the sun."

"Will there be mermaids?" Marti questioned, looking very serious.

My Dad looked stumped. "Uh…maybe, honey."

"Yay!" Marti bounced up and down again in my lap just as I was about to actually get the last spoonful of cereal in my mouth. The spoon jerked and catapulted soggy Cheerios across the table. It ended up hitting Casey right in the face.

"Derek!" she screeched, jumping up.

I laughed at her misfortune. It really wasn't my fault. But it was funny as hell.

And that's how we found out about our first beach adventure as a big happy family.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** _Wow,_ _I really appreciate all the feedback! You guys are all great and I dedicate this next chapter to the few of you that keep giving me such great feedback! It makes me want to keep writing :-) This chapter is back to Casey's POV._

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I love the beach and everything about it. So when Mom and George told us that we were going in a week, I immediately went up to my bedroom to write out a To Do List.

The only thing wrong with the beach trip was going to be Derek. It was over a two hour drive to the coast, and I was going to be stuck with him in such a confined space. However, I figured if I just brought my iPod, I could ignore him.

I ran downstairs and called Emily. "Guess what," I grinned to myself. I was much more excited about this trip than one would have imagined. I haven't been to the beach in so long… it would be nice to relax in the sun, listening to the waves in the background, feeling the warm sand—

"What?" Emily's voice broke me out of my daydream.

"I need the phone," I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around and looked at Derek, who was standing against the wall, arms crossed.

"Why don't you use your cell phone?" I asked him, my eyes narrowing.

"Can't," he said simply.

"Why not?" I challenged. I could hear Emily ask what was going on.

"Went way over my minutes. Dad freaked. Cell's gone. End of story. Give me the phone," he held out his hand, like I was actually going to give up the phone to him.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed, "you can wait." I put the phone back to my ear.

"So, anyways, Em, next week we're going to the be—" I was cut off. I whipped my head around and saw Derek standing with his hand over the phone cradle, smirking. He had taken out the cord.

"Derek!" I screamed and pounced on him. We fought over the cord, the two of us grabbing for it and swatting each other away. I slipped on the rug and flew right into Derek's chest. He lost his balance, and the two of us toppled to the floor. There we still continued fighting.

"Casey, if you wanted to be on top of me, you could have just asked," Derek smirked, winking suggestively as he hid the cord under his back.

I growled in frustration. "Shut up, Derek and give me the cord!"

"Hit a soft spot there, Case?" he asked as I grabbed for the cord. I don't give up so easily.

I didn't answer, concentrating on getting that cord. He laughed at me in his condescending Derek-way.

I was flipped over by Derek, being much lighter than he is, and he pinned me down to the floor. He still had the cord in his hand. I could have easily grabbed for it again, but something stopped me.

Blue locked with brown as we stared into each other's eyes.

The atmosphere changed. I don't know what it was, but something became really different about the air around us. His hard dark eyes seemed to soften… for what reason, I don't know.

My pulse quickened but my breath slowed. I stopped struggling all together. He lightened his grip on me. No words were said. We just stared.

"Casey, Derek, what are you two doing!" Mom loomed overhead suddenly, hands on her hips as she frowned down at us.

Quickly, Derek jumped off of me, and I stood up, brushing my clothes off.

"Honestly, you two, you have to stop this fighting," Mom went on, looking pointedly at me.

I just nodded, still slightly dazed about what it was that just happened. I looked over at Derek. His eyes met mine and he brushed past me, pushing the cord into my hand as he left.

My eyes followed him as he walked out of the room, wondering what he was thinking in that warped Derek brain of his.

I looked down at the cord and wondered what I was thinking in my _own_ head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **_You are all great! Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming! Now...back to Derek's POV..._

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The week was over. Summer vacation had finally begun and I could do even _more_ of what I love to do best—**absolutely nothing**.

But Nora had us all get up early so we could "have a hearty breakfast before a long drive." I think I surprised everyone by actually waking up early. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially not them, but I was actually looking forward to the beach.

Besides, I could work on my tan and check out babes in bikinis.

Speaking of babes in bikinis, Casey, who was sitting at the table eating some scrambled eggs, was wearing her bikini top already. My eyebrows rose at the cleavage. It was not a top that I would ever imagine seeing Casey wearing. It was not very G-rated.

Or maybe it was just my thoughts that were suddenly not G-rated anymore. They had gone right up to an NC-17 rating.

It was probably gross that I was checking out my stepsister's rack. But it was even grosser that Marti was currently shoving scrambled eggs up her nose.

"Marti!" Dad scolded and tried to dig out the bits of yellow mush.

About an hour later, we were all packed in the mini van. Edwin and I were in the way back, and the girls were in the middle seat. Nora was appointed as navigator, armed with maps and directions, and Dad was the driver. I hoped that with Nora as Navigator we wouldn't get lost like we always did whenever we drove to the coast.

"Are we all ready?" Dad asked, starting the car up.

"Ready spaghetti!" Marti exclaimed, waving her arms which were already adorned with bright orange "floaties."

"Let's just go already," Edwin complained from the right of me. He already had his handheld Nintendo on.

"Alright," Nora laughed. "Come on, George, let's get going."

I saw Casey put on headphones just minutes into the drive. I watched her perfectly-manicured fingers tap out a rhythm on her bare knee. I watched her pull her long dark hair up into a messy bun, exposing the nape of her neck to me. And I watched her tilt her head back, closing her eyes as she listened to her music.

I shook myself, realizing I had been staring at her for a good five minutes. It must be the heat. I rolled down the back window to get some cool air.

Why is she getting to me all of the sudden?


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **_Keep the reviews coming, I really appreciate the feedback! I'm going to be switching the POV from Casey to Derek chapter by chapter, if you haven't already figured that out. So now it's Casey's turn..._

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We got to the beach pretty early, despite getting lost for about half an hour. Which was not bad, considering my Mom's sense of direction. The seven of us lugged all of our suitcases and beach equipment into a quaint-looking beach house. Mom was totally ecstatic about the view. I was just glad to be able to stretch my legs.

I squinted my eyes as I looked over at the beach. It was beautiful. The sky was so clear, and the water was so blue, that suddenly I couldn't wait to go take a dip in it. The sun beat down on me, and I smiled lightly to myself. Maybe this _was_ going to be a great family-bonding vacation.

"Shmerek, will you go swimming with me?" Marti asked, looking up at her big brother. I will never understand why she is so fond of him.

"Sure thing, Smarti," he ruffled her hair. They did have a nice relationship. He seemed to like having a sister. Why not a stepsister? I shook my head and swatted a fly away, bending over and gathering my stuff to take up to my room, which I would be sharing with Lizzie. Since the house was not that big, Lizzie and I would be sharing one room, Derek and Edwin would be sharing another room, and Marti was going to be sleeping with Mom and George because she gets easily afraid sleeping in new places.

"Come on, family, let's get outside!" George called for us. He seemed _way _too excited about family bonding.

I took a book and a lounge chair, and set up a nice spot for me on the warm sand outside. I pulled on my sunglasses and took off the jeans skirt I had been wearing over my bikini. Happily, I lied back on the chair and took out my book.

My eyes shifted sight as Derek took a spot near mine. He set out his beach towel and took off his shirt. And, behind my sunglasses, I checked out my stepbrother.

"Stop it, Casey," I scolded myself out loud.

Derek looked over at that. "You talking to yourself again, Case?" he looked at me accusingly, like I had always done that or something.

My cheeks pinked and I averted my gaze, trying to ignore him. But as he lied down, his muscles flexed, and I caught myself staring once again.

Marti ran over to where Derek lay. "Shmerek, you promised you'd swim with me!"

I watched Derek grab her and Marti shrieked with excitement as he ran off with her in his arms, headed towards the shoreline.

I tried to concentrate on my book once again. And failed once again.

Derek and Marti splashed around, and soon Edwin and Lizzie joined in. I peeked over at Mom and George, and saw them lounging together, holding hands and watching the kids, proud as peacocks that they all appeared to be having a blast.

"Hey Casey, why don't you join in?" George called over to me, and pointed over at my sister and stepsiblings in the ocean.

"Yeah, Case, go take a dip," Mom agreed, waving me off. "It'll be nice to cool off."

I sighed. "No thanks, I like being warm," I told them, and returned to the second sentence of my book.

After a bit, I felt my eyes becoming heavy. I closed my eyes, tilting my head towards the sun so I could feel the warmth on my face as I slept. I listened to the waves crashing nearby and the sound of seagulls screeching, and had never felt so peaceful in my life. Until…

I felt a bucket of cold salt water dumped on me. I screamed, jumping up. Derek was standing there with an empty pail and Edwin was covering his mouth, laughing hysterically. Derek just grinned.

"Derek!" I screamed and began chasing him. I chased him into the cold water and swam after him. We swam pretty far out before he stopped and I was able to catch up with him. I immediately tackled him, dunking his head underwater.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that!" he said when he came back up. He spat out some ocean water and wiped the salt out of his eyes.

"I'm not scared of you, Derek Venturi," I glared at him.

"You should be," he said, grabbing me and pulling me under water with him. We fought underwater and, both of us being stubborn, we waited until we were ready to black out from lack of oxygen before coming up for air.

As we panted and gasped for air, we watched each other. It was like we were waiting to see which of us was going to make the next move. And just what that move was going to be.

"Casey! Derek!" I heard Lizzie calling from far away. Derek and I both looked over to see Lizzie, who looked to be the size of an ant, waving her arms. She motioned for us to come on. I glanced over at Derek for a second and began swimming back to shore.

Derek didn't say anything the whole swim back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **_Aww, all of your terribly kind comments make me blush! You all are great! And yes, I am an "updating fiend" hehe. The more incredible reviews you guys spoil me with, the more I feel obligated to update:-) So here's another chapter before I get to bed, and maybe I'll update some more tomorrow ;-) Thanks again everyone!_

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I'm man enough to admit that I think Casey looks incredibly hot in her bikini. But I'm even more man enough to admit that she looks really hot in her pajamas, too. You see, after dinner, Nora had the idea that we all get dressed in our pajamas and watch a family movie together. The seven of us were now in the living room, watching the TV screen together. Or, at least, they were watching it.

You see, I couldn't even tell you what movie we have been watching for the past hour. Because I'm too preoccupied with the way Casey looks in her damn pajamas.

She had on these little short shorts and a tank-top that exposed most of her flat, toned stomach. She was sitting on the floor next to Edwin, watching the movie intently while she absentmindedly chipped away at her fingernail polish.

I don't know why I was suddenly so into Casey. Or maybe it wasn't so sudden. Maybe I should come clean about the X-rated dreams I've had about her ever since our families merged. How sometimes I think about those dreams when I watch her in school or at the dinner table. How I've always had this suppressed lust for my stepsister.

"Lust," I repeated in my head, watching Casey's shorts ride up a bit as she changed positions, exposing more of her smooth bare thighs.

I closed my eyes, attempting to clean up my thoughts, and tried to focus on the television screen. I started watching it seconds before the credits started rolling.

"That was great!" Marti yelled, jumping off the couch and on to where I sat on the arm chair.

"Marti, it's bed time," Dad said, looking down at his youngest.

"I don't want to go to bed!" she cried, standing up and doing a little jig by my side.

"Marti, if you go to bed now, maybe you can get Derek to tuck you in," Nora said, and she winked at me, hoping Marti would take the bait.

Marti immediately swung her head and looked at me. "Shmerek, will you tuck me in?" She batted her eyelashes at me and I sighed heavily. I always had such a weak spot for her and I don't know why.

"Sure," I told her, and she grinned.

I carried Marti up to Nora and my Dad's bedroom-for-the-week, and put her in the middle of their Queen-sized bed. She giggled as I tuckered her in.

"Goodnight, Shmerek," she smiled up at me.

I smiled back at her. She always got me to soften. "'Night, Shmarti. See you in the morning." I turned off the light, leaving the door slightly ajar so that some light could come into her room and she wasn't completely left in the dark.

I walked by Casey and Lizzie's room. Casey was lying on her bed reading. She was such a bookworm. Me, I hated reading, and only did it if I absolutely had to. But Casey constantly had her nose in some book.

Across the hall was the bedroom I was sharing with Edwin. I put up a big fight about this, but there were no other bedrooms. So I was stuck with my brother for a week. He usually is pretty quiet, and doesn't snore, so I guess I could deal…for the time being. Maybe I could get him to go stay with Casey and Lizzie. Or go sleep in the living room. He might do it if I ask him…or bribe him.

Edwin was already in bed, exhausted from a long day. I could tell he was in that half-asleep trance, so I didn't bother starting up a conversation with him. I took out my iPod and listened to some of my old favorite songs. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

I don't know how long I was asleep for, but I woke up with my iPod still on. I took off my headphones and found the house to be very quiet. Peering over, I glanced at the alarm clock Dad had set up so we could all "get up early for a full day of family." 2:34 AM.

I got up and stretched a bit before walking downstairs to get a drink. My eyes were out of focus as I groped for the banister so I wouldn't pull a _Klutzilla_ and fall down the staircase. When I made it to the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of cool lemonade that Casey had made earlier and sat down at the empty table. As I sipped the cold drink, I looked out of the large window showcasing the moonlit beach.

Looking closer, I saw a figure standing on the sand, looking out at the waves. I put my half-empty glass down on the table and stood up to get a closer look out of the window.

It was Casey.

I walked outside into the cool, salty night air and stood on the porch. Casey stood with her arms wrapped around herself, still clad in her skimpy pajamas. Her dark hair was loose and flowing gently in the breeze as she stared out at the ocean, seemingly fascinated by it.

And I walked over to her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **_As always, thanks for the reviews! You know I appreciate them :-) Thanks for pointing out the Smerek/Smarti error, too! I don't know why my fingers always add in the "h." Maybe it's because I'm a blonde ;-) lol. Here's a short chapter for now...maybe I'll update again later. We'll see ;-) Now, on with the story!

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_

I felt his eyes on me. I knew it was Derek. I didn't even have to turn around.

He walked up behind me. "What are you doing out here?"

I didn't look at him. "Thinking."

"About…?" he waited for me to continue.

"Things," I answered simply. I drew my eyes away from the dark waves crashing softly in the night and looked over at him. His hair was messy and cheeks were slightly pink with sleep. He looked like such a little boy there that I almost smiled.

"_Things _doesn't tell me anything," he said.

I sighed, digging my toes in the cool sand. "I don't know. I just…I couldn't sleep. So I came out here."

He nodded, to my surprise, as if that answer was sufficient for him. He sat down in the sand, and I followed suit.

"How's things with Sam?" I heard him say, a slight edge on his voice.

Sam, my boyfriend. Sam, his best-friend. "I don't know," I said honestly. I did like Sam a lot. We had fun together. Something just wasn't clicking, though. I don't know what it was. It's like…the chemistry just isn't there. I looked over at Derek. He gave me an accusing look.

"What?" I asked. "It's not like you have a girlfriend," I said defensively.

He laughed, an amused look on his face. "Case, I can have any girl I want."

"Oh really?" I rolled my eyes. He just thinks he's Joe Stud.

"Really," he said indignantly.

"I doubt that," I said, giving him a challenging look.

"Is that so?" He moved closer to me.

"Yes," I didn't waver. I stared at him through my thick eyelashes.

"So, who do you want?"

He gave me a determined look. "You," he growled before crushing his lips against my own.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it...the more feedback I get, the more I want to keep updating lol. So here's another chapter for you:-)_

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I couldn't stop myself from kissing Casey. It was like, we were talking, and she was just there, her lips looking so damn inviting. So she made me do it, really. 

I was surprised not to feel her pull away. In fact I think she was…

Yeah, she was.

She was kissing me back.

I growled and pushed her down into the sand as I attacked her with my mouth. I let out all of my pent up frustration on her. I kissed her until my lungs screamed for oxygen, and then let her go.

She stared up at me from where she lay now, down in the sand. Her dark hair was fanned out and her swollen lips were parted as she gasped for breath. Her eyes were wide and cheeks were red. We stared at each other, both of our chests heaving as we panted.

"Derek…" she murmured. I knew she wanted to say something. Protest me. Tell me it was wrong.

I didn't care.

I swooped down and captured her lips again. This time I felt her arms go around my neck, clinging to me tightly, and I lied down on top of her. My tongue slid into her mouth and caressed her own tongue as my hands grasped her bare hips.

"We can't do this Derek…" she gasped out in-between kisses.

"Why not?" I demanded, devouring her lips.

"It's…it's wrong…we're stepsiblings…" she murmured against my lips.

I released her lips and hovered over her, our faces just millimeters apart. "We're not actually related," I told her with a smirk.

She sighed. "Derek…our parents would kill us if they ever found out—"

"Found out what?" I teased, searching her eyes.

She blushed. "That we were…_you know_…"

"Fooling around?" I grinned, watching her blush deepen.

"Derek, I have a boyfriend," she added, as if I didn't already know she was dating my best friend.

"How would he know?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. "How would anyone know?" I leaned down and pressed a hot kiss against her throat.

I felt her exhale deeply. "Nobody will know?" she whispered.

"Nobody," I promised her, grinning as I began sucking on her neck.

She giggled at the feeling. "Derek!" she wiggled around under me and I didn't let her go until I finished my masterpiece.

"There ya go," I grinned as I looked at the product of my actions.

Her eyes narrowed. "Derek, you didn't…" she trailed off, touching her neck.

I smirked proudly down at the hickey I left on my stepsister's neck.

"_Der-EK_!" she shouted, pushing me off of her.

I stood up and grinned. I winked at her smugly and turned to go back into the house.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I've been sick today, so with nothing to do, I've been writing more of the story. I was thinking about boosting this up to a Mature rating in future chapters, but decided to keep it tame lol. Maybe I'll make a Mature Casey/Derek story for my next fanfic ;-) What do you think? Alright, on with the story..._

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I woke up the next morning to the sound of the alarm George had put in mine and Lizzie's room. It was 8AM. 

"Ugh," I heard Lizzie groan and shuffled over to the alarm clock to shut it off.

I squinted at the bright sun coming in through the blinds and sat up with a sigh. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and looked over at Lizzie. "It's _way_ too early."

Lizzie nodded, rubbing her eyes. She stopped and looked at me strangely. Coming closer to me, I asked her what was wrong.

"What's that on your neck?" she asked.

My heart stopped for a minute. I thought last night had been a dream. A very twisted dream, but a dream nonetheless. I quickly jumped up and ran over to the mirror near the door. Sure enough, there was a dark bruise on the left side of my neck.

A hickey.

I tried to cover it up with make-up as best I could. Mom was shouting for me to come down for breakfast.

"Coming!" I shouted, finishing up with my neck and pulling on a bikini and a pair of shorts. I slipped on my sandals and hurried downstairs, where everybody was already eating.

Derek looked up at me and gave me a smirk. I blushed and looked away, sitting down next to Lizzie. I didn't like the way my heart skipped every time Derek looked at me during breakfast.

"I think that we should go to the fireworks show they're having tonight," George suggested.

"Yay!" Marti yelled, holding her spoon up in the air triumphantly. Droplets of milk landed on her head.

"And there's a barbecue tonight, too," Mom added, stirring her coffee.

"Barbecue," Edwin seemed to approve of that.

"But for now, it's beach time," George said.

We all assembled out of the house and into the hot sun. Marti, Lizzie, and Edwin immediately ran to the cool water. George and my Mom set up lounge chairs and got out the newspaper. I just stood there as if I didn't know what to do.

"What's wrong, Case?" Derek sidled up beside me. He rested a hand on my bare side. "Not up for the heat today?" he whispered, his lips gently brushing against my shoulder as he spoke his double entendre.

My whole body shivered involuntarily. I was both troubled and elated by the way he made me feel so out of control.

"I—I forgot my iPod," I said quickly, and ducked from his grasp. I ran back into the house and up to my room. I picked up my iPod from off the nightstand and was about to exit the room when Derek stuck his head in.

"You know, you sure know how to make a guy feel unwanted, Case," he said, his eyes sparkling with smug amusement.

"What do you want, Derek?" I asked him, feeling my pulse quicken as he moved closer to me. I backed up slowly until I hit the wall.

"I already told you what I want," he said in a low voice, his hand reaching out and pushing my dark hair off of my face. He smelled so good. "But you never told me what you want." He moved his warm hand down from my cheek, all the way down my neck, around the curve of my breast, down to my hip, his eyes following his movement the whole time. Every part of my body that he touched felt like it was on fire. He looked deep into my eyes then. I glanced from his eyes to his lips and felt myself give up.

"You," I breathed and allowed him to capture my lips in a hot, passionate kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

_Whatever Derek wants, Derek gets_. This replayed over and over in my head as I made out with Casey on her bed.

"Derek…" she murmured from beneath me. "We've got to get back outside…"

I groaned, feeling her pull away from me. "Fine. But we're finishing this later." I looked at her under me.

She didn't say anything, but the sparkle in her eyes said it all. We broke apart and went out separate ways. Casey went to the bathroom, probably to fix up the make-up on her neck that I had smudged. It was covering the lovely parting gift I had given her last night.

"Smerek!" Marti ran over to me as I walked back outside. She had on a huge pair of goggles that made her look like a bug. "Me and Edwin and Lizzie are making a big sand castle! Come help us!" She tugged on my wrist.

The beach house door opened and Casey came out, her hair combed and love bite covered. Our eyes met for a second and I smirked as I saw her blush. She walked back over to her lounge chair. My eyes focused on her long legs as she slid off her shorts, revealing that little white bikini of hers, and she lied on the lounge chair, happily basking in the sunlight.

"Come on!" Marti repeated, and I let her drag me over to the pitiful-looking sandcastle they were building. There was another kid helping them out, a boy about Marti's age with light blonde hair and freckles.

"Who's that?" I asked Edwin as I tried to rectify the sandcastle mess.

"That's my brother," came a voice behind me. I turned and felt my jaw drop. A girl, definitely my age, with long golden hair and wearing a bright pink bikini was standing there with a pail in her hand. She gave me a bright smile, clearly checking me out.

"Here, Jake, you forgot your pail," she said, handing the item to her brother, her eyes not leaving my own.

"I'm Leah," she told me flirtatiously.

"Derek," I replied with a grin, not able to stop myself from checking her out as well. She was definitely _hot_.

"Well, Derek…do you need some help with your sandcastle? I'm really good with my hands," she winked suggestively.

I raised my eyebrows.

"You can help!" Marti exclaimed. She handed Leah a shovel. Then she shouted, "Casey, do you want to help, too?"

I tore my eyes off of Leah to glance over at Casey. She was glaring at me.

"No thanks, kiddo," she answered and haughtily shoved her sunglasses on, lying back in the sun.

_What was her problem?_ I shook my head. _Girls._


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **_Thank you for all the reviews, I love reading each and every one of them! Special note to all you readers: keep requesting a Life With Derek section here on this site! We need to get one! Okay, on with the story..._

_

* * *

_

Derek had the nerve to make out with me one minute and flirt with some blonde bimbo the next. I guess I should have expected that. What was I thinking making out with my stepbrother?

_Never again_, I promised myself as I closed my eyes and tried to relax in the sun.

Stupid Derek.

"How about we go get some ice cream, kids?" George suddenly called to all of us.

"George, the kids haven't had lunch," Mom said.

"Ah, so what. It's their vacation," George replied, and Mom reluctantly gave in.

We all piled in to the minivan. I was glad that the blonde slut wasn't joining us. Derek sat down in the way back, and jerked his head, motioning for me to sit next to him. I turned my head and sat in the middle section with Lizzie.

"What's up with you?" Derek hissed in my ear as we drove.

"Where's Barbie?" I retorted back, not giving him the satisfaction of even looking at him.

The rest of the car ride was dedicated to Marti, George, and Mom singing stupid kids songs like "The Wheels on the Bus." They kept trying to get the rest of us to join, but we just stared at them as if they were nuts.

"How far away is the ice cream place?" Lizzie whispered to me, obviously as sick of the car ride as I was.

I smiled, feeling the same way. "It better not be too far from here or I'll jump out of the van."

Lizzie giggled a bit at that.

The ice cream shop was only about twenty minutes away, but it seemed like an hour at least. I got my favorite, a strawberry ice cream cone, and walked outside to eat it alone. Of course, Derek followed me.

"Are you mad that I was talking to Leah?" he asked incredulously, eating a cup of chocolate ice cream with crushed Oreos on top.

Way to make me feel like the jackass. "No, I'm not mad that you were talking to Slutty McSlutty-pants."

Derek chuckled. "You're _jealous_," he said as if having a revelation.

"I am not!" I snapped.

He grinned. "Yeah you are." He moved in closer to me. "She's got nothing on you, Case," he breathed into my ear and then walked off, leaving me speechless.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is pretty short, sorry about that... I don't know when I'll be updating again because I have some holiday shopping to do today and I have a minor surgery tomorrow morning. So I don't know if I'll be up to posting more tomorrow. You never know, though! ;-) So anyways, on with Derek..._

* * *

On the way back from the ice cream shop, I was surprised that Casey sat next to me in the back seat. She didn't say anything, however, and simply lied back, closing her eyes. I watched her fall asleep, her head tilting over to the side, her lips slightly spread apart. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful— 

At that comment I sat up straight. What the hell was that about? I don't think I had ever used the word "beautiful" before. Glancing back overt at Casey, however, I realized that's what she was. Beautiful.

Oh no, I was going soft. _It was the lust talking_, I tried to tell myself. But was it really lust? Lust was more of a "look at her, she looks so sexy and hot, I just want to bang her."

"Beautiful" was definitely not a lust word.

Then what was it?

She shifted in her sleep, and her head involuntarily dropped on my shoulder. I looked down at her and my mouth twitched into a smile.

Shit.

I was falling for my stepsister.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **_Sorry for the lack of updates, my surgery did not go quite as well as I had hoped. For a more in-depth story, you can go to my live journal __if you want. I'll contain myself from rambling on here, lol. So here's the next chapter! Oh, and by the way, I'm seriously considering making my one-shot fic "Mistletoe" a two-shoter for those of you who are interested... ;-) Well, later everyone, and hope you all enjoy:-)_

* * *

I woke up when the car suddenly came to a stop and the kids piled out of the van. I sat up quickly when I realized I was resting my head on Derek, who had fallen asleep as well. Quickly I crept out of the car and went up to my bedroom.

I stood in the empty room, in front of the large mirror, and took out my hairbrush. My hair was a mess again. As I combed out the tangles, I heard the door creak open.

I knew who it was.

"What do you want, Derek?" I sighed, continuing to brush my dark locks.

He didn't answer, so I turned to look at him. He was just standing at the opened door, an expression of confusion across his unexpectedly extraordinarily un-Derek-like face.

"What, not going out to see Barbie?" I placed my hands on my hips accusingly.

He still did not say a word. Then, he moved in closer to me.

I stepped back. "No, Derek," I positioned my hands in front of me in a "halt; don't come any closer" pose. "We're not doing this again. I won't let it happen again."

He took another step forward, and I took another step back.

"Derek," I abruptly felt tears stinging my eyes. I didn't even know where they were coming from. "Derek, no. I can't do this to Sam. I can't do this to myself. I don't deserve to be used by my stepbrother. _You can't always get what you want, Derek_." Tears were falling down my cheeks now. "I'm a good person. I deserve more than this. I deserve somebody who _loves_ me." I was full out crying now, my whole body shaking.

I saw a pained look in Derek's eyes. He reached out and in a completely un-Derek-like move, brushed away my tears. He looked young and vulnerable, as if Derek had become a completely different person. His eyes moved down to the floor, as if he was hiding something from me.

After a moment, he looked back up into my eyes. And I saw it.

I saw it in his eyes. Something that took me so aback that I gasped out loud.

His mouth twitched.

_He's going to say it, _I thought to myself, completely astonished. _He's actually going to say it._ Adrenaline pumped through me as my heart began racing.

And in a moment of complete honesty and naked emotion, Derek murmured almost inaudibly, "I do love you, Case."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **_Special thanks to those who sent me get well wishes, I really appreciate it... and the reviews of course as well! I'm feeling a bit better today, although I slept most of the day :-p I don't have much else to do but stay in bed for the next few days, so hopefully I'll be updating more often. Okay, enough rambling, here's the next chapter. Enjoy:-)_

* * *

I don't know what I was doing. Why I was exposing my secret. Why I was telling the girl I surreptitiously had fallen for—my _stepsister_—that I **loved** her. What the hell was I on? Why couldn't I keep my stupid big mouth shut? How had she pulled it out of me?

I stared at her, not knowing what to do for the first time in my life. I never felt so completely naked, and I hated the feeling.

So I got angry.

Angry at myself, feeling betrayed by my voice. Angry at Casey, for getting so goddamn under my skin. Angry at my Dad for marrying Nora. Hell, I was mad at the world.

"Dammit!" I yelled, causing Casey to jump. I stormed out of the room, slamming her door closed.

What was I thinking?

_Come on, Derek, get it together_, I slammed my own door and paced around the room. _You're always the calm, cool, collected one. You always know what to do, no matter what the situation. You're Derek Venturi._

But Derek Venturi had never had these confusing feelings before.

I cursed and sat down on my bed, my head in my hands, trying to think. My head was pounding.

"Derek?" I heard Edwin's voice as the door opened an inch. I looked over and he peeked his head in at me.

"What," I stated crossly.

He came into the room. "Did…you and Casey have a fight?" he looked perplexed at how obviously worked up I was. So _not_ like me.

"Forget about it, Edwin," I muttered, scrubbing my face in my hands. I ran a hand through my hair and stood up again. "I'm going outside," I mumbled and walked past him.

It was still pretty sunny out, so I pulled on my shades as I walked out in the sand. Dad and Nora were taking a walk along the shore together, Marti skipping ahead of them, collecting seashells. Lizzie was lying down in Casey's lounge chair, reading a book.

I stared out at the ocean and sighed. _Derek Venturi, master of practically the entire universe... stumped._


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: **_Stupid medication is keeping me up, so here's another chapter for ya:-) Thanks so much for the reviews, I enjoy reading each and every one of them. I like to know that people are still reading! Later, enjoy!_

* * *

Dinner was an interesting event for the MacDonald-Venturi household. Nobody seemed to notice that Derek and I were completely silent through the entire barbecue. We didn't even look at each other.

Okay, that was a lie. I stole a few glances. He seemed to be really concentrating on his cheeseburger. As I stared down at my own hot dog, I thought about what he had said.

"_I _do_ love you, Case_." The words sounded much too sincere to be a joke. And the look on his face… I would never forget that look on his face.

Did he really love me?

I glanced up at him. He was still very much into his cheeseburger. He was obviously avoiding me. I guess I couldn't blame him, having not responded at all to him when he made his declaration.

I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say. It took me by complete surprise. I wasn't even sure if he was serious or if it was some big joke to get me to sleep with him or something like that. Did he really mean it? Had he fallen for me the way that I was unwillingly beginning to fall for him?

I contemplated this thought. _Love does make you do crazy things_, I heard my mother's voice say in my head. It was her response when I questioned her about getting engaged to George so quickly.

Love.

I stole another glance over at Derek. Was I actually falling in love with _Derek _of all people? I turned away as I thought of Sam guiltily. Sam was a great guy. He didn't deserve to be cheated on. Especially not with his best friend…by his best friend's stepsister.

I sighed out loud. This whole thing was so warped. I mean, I know that Derek and I weren't actually related… but we were related in almost all accounts except for blood. We shared the same house, the same family. I thought of Edwin and Marti as my little brother and sister, just like Lizzie was my real sister.

Why was Derek any different?

Why did he give me butterflies when I looked at him and why did I feel sparks whenever he touched me? Why were the kisses we shared the best kisses I've ever experienced in my life? How could one person infuriate me and infatuate me at the same time?

So many questions. I didn't have any of the answers.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **_Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone! You all make me smile :-) Before giving you the next chapter, I just wanted to say that we really need our own **Life With Derek** section. Please help if you can in this way:_

How do I suggest a new category? 

You must have a story ready to submit before requesting a category.

Request procedure:

Send an email to with all the necessary details to newcategory-at-fanfiction-dot-net. (_Important: change the "At" and the "Dot" to the actual symbols and take away the hyphens_!)

_Thanks and happy holidays everyone if I don't update before then:-)_

* * *

I avoided Casey all through dinner. I had this new emotion coming over me that I hated—embarrassment. I was embarrassed by what I had said. I had never actually been embarrassed about anything before. 

Frankly, it sucked.

After dinner, Nora and my Dad set up some blankets for us kids to watch the fireworks on. Marti climbed on Nora's lap, snuggling under a warm blanket, and Lizzie and Edwin both sat by her side. Casey sat off to the side, wrapped up in her sweatshirt. I sat as far away from her as possible.

As soon as the fireworks began, I was bored. I got up and left without anybody noticing.

Or so I thought.

I was almost back at the beach house before I saw Casey chasing after me. I stopped, wondering just what she was doing.

"What?" I gave her an attitude as soon as she caught up to me.

She bit her lip, clearly not prepared to say anything of any importance. I waited a few seconds and rolled my eyes, turning my back to her and heading to the front door.

"Wait!" she shouted. I sighed heavily, but paused in my tracks, not bothering to turn around. She ran over to me again, stopping just inches in front of me.

I was about to make some annoyed comment, when she did something that I last expected her to do. She stood on the tiptoes of her bare feet and grabbed the collar of my sweatshirt. Pulling me towards her, Casey pressed her lips against mine.

I didn't have time to think; I just felt my body respond. I wrapped my arms around her waist, deepening the kiss, letting my feelings all of my feelings out. It was different than any other kiss I had experienced—and believe me; I have done a lot of kissing in my day.

This kiss wasn't hungry or full of lust. It was unusual. Slow. Unrushed. Careful. My mind wasn't focused on my next move or how to get to second base with her. In fact, my mind seemed pretty blank. It was just her I could see. Just Casey.

After the noteworthy kiss, Casey did something else she had never done before. She hugged me tightly.

"I love you too, Derek," she whispered into my ear.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **_Hey everyone, hope everyone had/is having a happy holiday:-) I'm feeling a lot better, so here's the next chapter for you. Oh and P.S. ... _

_Suggest a Life With Derek section here:_

(You must have a story ready to submit before requesting a category.)

Visit support-dot-fanfiction-dot-net and add a new support ticket in the new category area.

_Maybe that will work? I'll cross my fingers. Okay, on with the storyyyy..._

* * *

Derek pulled away from me, his eyes wide as saucers and his mouth slack. "You what?" 

"I…I love you," my cheeks burned despite the cool summer night breeze. "I didn't want to fall for you. It doesn't make any sense. I mean there's Sam, and of course the fact that our parents are married, and then there's how you and I fight like cats and dogs most of the time," I babbled on nervously. Curse Derek for always making me feel stupid and ramble-y.

Derek grinned at my discomfiture. "Case…"

"I just don't want to hurt Sam, or my Mom," I finished, looking at our family in the distance, who were all enthralled by the fireworks. Derek looked over at them as well, and sighed.

"I don't think it would go over well with my Dad and Nora, would it?" he agreed.

I nodded and looked back at him. "We couldn't tell anybody. I mean…if we were to decide to start up a relationship…" I knew my cheeks were flushed again.

He stared at me. I knew he hated the word "relationship." I swear he had a fear of commitment. So I would be shocked if he were to agree with having an actual relationship.

"Fine," he said, and I almost collapsed right there on the sand. "But under one condition. You have to break up with Sammy Boy."

"Fine," I also agreed. I was going to do that anyway. "But you can't be going out with anyone else either."

He raised his eyebrows. "Fine. But this stays a secret. No telling anyone. Not even your little friend Emily."

I placed my hands on my hips. "Fine. But we have to sneak around so Mom and George don't find out."

"Fine," he moved in closer to me. "So to them were are just the original fighting duo as always."

"_Fine_," I said.

"_Fine_," he repeated. We stared at each other, now just millimeters apart, and his lips curled into a smile. An actual smile.

I smiled back and we sealed our negotiation with a lengthy, fervent kiss.

I think I may have lost my mind.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for the reviews:-) I was kind of getting unsure about where this story was going but I had a brainstorm last night so :-D yay! lol. Here's the next chapter. I'll most likely be updatingagain tonight!_

_P.S. How does everyone feel about "Dasey" for a Casey/Derek shipper nickname?_

* * *

The third day of our summer vacation started with yet another early wake up call.

"What the hell," I groaned, shoving my pillow over my head to block out the horrible noise coming from the damn alarm clock.

"Waaaaaaake up, kids!" Dad yelled up to us, obviously excited about the day. "Come on down for breakfast and we can make our family plans for the day!"

I hate morning people.

I forced myself to my feet as Edwin walked over to go shut the alarm off. He lied his head down on the dresser and fell back to sleep right on the clock.

I chuckled at the sight, shaking my head and grabbing some clean clothes. My eyes still not focused, I dragged myself down the hall to the one bathroom we kids all had to share. Casey was waiting there in front of the door in her pajamas, a towel in her hands and her arms crossed impatiently.

"Hurry up, Lizzie!" she hissed at her sister through the door.

"I'm coming!" Lizzie called back and Casey exhaled heavily, running a hand through her long hair in frustration.

I walked over to stand at the door with her.

"Hey," I smirked down at her.

The annoyed look on her face vanished. "Hey yourself," she replied.

I was about to steal a kiss from her, when the door swung open and we jumped apart.

"Finished," Lizzie said with a smile and walked off.

Casey and I looked at each other and both bolted into the bathroom. Edwin walked in at that second.

"Derek, I had the bathroom first!" Casey shouted.

"Well I have it now," I said smugly.

"Can I just brush my teeth?" Edwin asked, still at the doorway.

"No!" we both shouted in synchrony.

Edwin sighed and sauntered away.

"I've been waiting for the past fifteen minutes," Casey continued, narrowing her eyes.

She looked cute with her hair all a mess and her little pajamas on.

"Okay…" I walked in closer to her. "You win…this time." I gave her just a little kiss, enough for her to be thinking about me while in the shower.

_Mmm… Casey in the shower. Hot._

I winked and left her in the bathroom stunned that I had given it up so easily.

_The sacrifices I make for love_, I thought as I flopped back into bed and closed my eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: **_Hey everyone, sorry about not updating last night... I tried like four times, but it wouldn't let me update for some reason! Grr. Well maybe I can update twice today. We'll see ;-) Enjoy!_

* * *

We were behind schedule thanks to Derek, who had fallen back to sleep. He was showering still while we waited for him in the minivan. Mom and George had decided that we hit the local amusement park today, as it was supposed to rain tomorrow.

Derek walked out of the house, his hair spiky and still wet from his shower. His hand brushed against mine as he sat down next to me, and I felt butterflies in my stomach again. How did he manage to make me feel like that from one simple touch?

"Everyone set?" George asked, looking back at his eldest son.

"Ay ay, Captain," Derek joked, saluting him. He pleasantly surprised me by unconsciously taking my hand in his. He really was a different person now that we were in a secret, sort-of-scandalous relationship. I had to admit I was truly liking the person he had become. He had even let me shower first this morning.

Wow. That's a big sacrifice on Derek's part.

Leave it to Mom to even ruin a concealed moment. "Casey, honey, Sam left you a message last night," she informed me.

I saw Derek's jaw instantly tense.

"Um, thanks, Mom," I said. "I'll call him tonight." I said that last part for Derek as well. I was going to break up with Sam tonight. I don't think that Derek really believed that I would. I'd show him.

I scooted closer to Derek until our bare legs were touching, his slightly hairy, tanner ones against my smooth, paler ones. I definitely had to get some more sun.

As soon as we got to the amusement park, everyone ran out of the van and it was like it was every man for himself. My jaw just dropped as I watched my whole family start running towards the park like it was some kind of Disney Land commercial.

To me, the park looked a bit on the dull side. It was rather small, and the rides looked rickety and old. There were mostly younger kids there, too.

"What, not amused by the amusement park, Case?" Derek walked back over to me after noticing that I hadn't moved.

I shook my head. "Nah."

"Yeah, it looks kind of lame," he said, and placed his hands on my waist, pulling me closer to him with an enticing look on his face. He grinned down at me. "How about we just hang out around here?"

I smiled up at him charmingly. "That might be more fun…"

"Oh, I can make sure it's definitely more fun," he promised playfully and kissed me.

I liked this whole new side of Derek. A lot. I moaned as his lips moved to the side and he began gently nibbling on my ear. Sam could never make my knees feel weak like they did now. I let my eyes flutter shut as Derek pushed me up against our family's minivan and moved his lips down my neck. He lifted me up slightly and I instantly wrapped my legs around him, letting him slide the strap of my tank-top down so he could kiss along the length of my shoulder.

"Ooh, Derek…" I gasped out in pleasure. I still couldn't believe that this was _Derek_ that was making me feel this way. Stupid, annoying, stepbrother Derek.

I moaned as he slid his tongue into my mouth and kissed me deeply.

Definitely not stupid or annoying anymore.

Nope.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: **_Hehe, thanks for all the reviews guys:-) So we all agree on "Dacey"? lol I think its cute. Alright, here's the next chapter, enjoy:-)

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_

I spent the whole day fooling around with Casey in the parking lot of the amusement park. I should thank my Dad for dragging us out there.

Nobody had seemed to notice that Casey and I never made it to the actual park. We met them at the gate when we saw them coming, all of their arms full with stuffed animals and leftover popcorn.

"Smerek, did you see me hit that balloon?" Marti jumped on me, a stuffed pelican now thrust in my face.

I smirked over at Casey. No, I had been a bit to preoccupied. "Sorry, Smarti, I must have missed it."

"I'm hungry," Edwin looked over at Dad as everyone piled in to the car. Marti ran to go sit with me and Casey in the back. I sighed as she wiggled in between us.

"Shall we go out to eat?" Dad looked at all of us.

"Yeah," everyone replied, except for Marti who let out a bird call instead.

"I'm a bird like Peter Pelican," she told me, once again thrusting the stuffed animal in my face.

Casey laughed as I spat out Peter Pelican fur. "Very nice," I said to Marti. I gave Casey a Look and she just smiled back innocently.

We drove into some seafood restaurant, which Casey didn't look very pleased about. Marti ran in ahead of us all and immediately tried to order bird seed. I sat down next to Casey at the table. She still looked disgusted.

"Not up for seafood today, Case?" I asked, handing her a menu as they got passed around.

She wrinkled her nose. "I hate fish."

"I hate fish, too!" Marti yelled, and pretty much every person in the restaurant stopped and looked over at our table.

Nora turned red. "Marti, sweetie, pelicans eat fish," she told her calmly.

"No they don't they eat bird seed!" Marti exclaimed.

"Smarti, pelicans do eat fish," I told her. "Why don't you get some fish sticks? You used to like those."

"Okay, Smerek," Marti grinned and set up a plate for Peter.

Casey raised an eyebrow at me. I had impressed her once again. I gave her a self-righteous grin and she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Derek," I heard a voice and I turned around to see Leah, that blonde from the beach.

"Oh, uh, hey," I said, glancing over at Casey uncomfortably. She did not look amused.

"A bunch of us are having a party tonight," she said flirtatiously. Her hand slipped down and rested on my arm. "You should come. It'll be fun."

I hesitated. And my Dad thought it was because of a very different reason…

"Go ahead, Derek," Dad said, and I looked over at him. He nodded. "Go have fun. You've been spending a lot of time with the family. You deserve the night off."

Ha, if he only knew.

But wait a minute, this was a dilemma. Yes, this was _definitely_ a problem. I looked back at Casey, who was giving Leah a filthy look. Leah was oblivious to it, and was just fluttering her eyelashes at me. I just sat there blinking.

"Uh…" If I said no, then Dad and Nora might get suspicious. And Casey and I _did_ say that we would act like everything was normal. I put on my best Derek smirk. "Sure."

"Great," Leah grinned. She shuffled through her bright pink purse and took out a piece of little notebook paper. She jotted down something and then handed it to me, smiling. "Here's the address. It starts at 8."

"I'll be there," I told her and she trotted away.

I stared down at the address, written in pink glittery ink. Of course. And there was a heart around it. I sighed and shoved the note into my pocket. I turned to Casey. She scowled at me and looked away.

_Oh boy…_


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: **_In the last post I meant Derek/Casey **Dasey **not "Dacey" lol. My bad. So here's the next chapter, which I would have posted earlier today but this site was acting up again le sigh Okay, enjoy:-)_

* * *

I stomped into my room when we got back. I was _not _happy about Derek going to some party with that blonde tramp. What was I thinking getting involved with him? I knew his history with girls… why did I think that with me it would be different?

"Grr!" I shouted and flopped onto my bed. _Guys_!

Lizzie came into the room and looked over at me. "Hey Casey."

"Hey," I mumbled into my pillow.

"Are you okay?" she sat down on her bed.

I sighed and rolled over so I was on my side, facing her. "Yeah, sure. I just have a headache."

She nodded and sat back on her bed, taking out a book. I stared into space, just thinking. Annoyed.

There was a short knock and the door pushed open, revealing Derek. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Case…" he glanced over, seeing that Lizzie was there. "Uh…" he trailed off.

"I don't really want to talk now," I said in monotone, "I have a headache."

He could see right through that lie. He ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated because he wanted to talk to me. Well, I didn't want to talk to him. So there.

"You should get going, that party starts in half an hour," I said mockingly. "Barbie will be waiting for you."

He sighed heavily. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me."

"I wasn't invited," I said simply.

"I'm sure nobody would mind," he replied.

"Barbie would," I shot back.

Derek mouthed for me to come out so we could talk in private. I was being stubborn, I knew that, but I shook my head firmly. "Have fun tonight," I stated sourly.

Derek threw his hands up in the air, giving up. "Whatever," he stated crossly and walked off.

I lied back on my bed and clutched my pillow to me. I knew I was being childish. But why did he say that he would go! And he _hadn't _asked her if I could come. Most likely because he wanted her to himself tonight. I mean, she was hot. And all over him like flies on crap. So, being Derek, of course he was going to have fun with her tonight.

Whatever.

I moped around the room most of the night, but around 9:00 I decided to go take a walk by myself. I pulled on a sweatshirt over my outfit and slid on my sandals. The air outside was cool, and the smell of the ocean at night was so refreshing. I strolled along on the sand, lost in my own world, when I stopped short.

My eyes widened in surprise at what I saw in front of me.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: **_LOL, I loved all of the guesses I got for what it was that Casey saw! haha. Some of you got it right. :-) Enjoy this next part, I'm still trying to figure how explicit I want the next part to be ;-) Give me your input please! ;-)_

* * *

"Derek?" I heard my name.

I looked up and was surprised to see Casey standing there, alone and looking confused. I stood up from where I sat in the sand.

"Hey, Case," I said, brushing the sand off of my pants.

"What…what are you doing here?" she asked, puzzled. She looked around and around, seeing nobody with me. "Where's Barbie?"

I smiled a bit. Leah. Leah was hot, yes, but there was really nothing to her. She practically threw herself at me about three times during the party. Normally, I wouldn't have minded that at all and would have just had a good time with her. But something was different tonight...

I didn't want her.

Whenever I would look at her, with her long blonde hair and the tiny bikini she had on, I would just feel…nothing. Like she was a waste of my time.

Like I was supposed to be with somebody else.

I stared at Casey then. She had on a pair of jean cut-offs and a sweatshirt that was two or three sizes too big. Her feet were bare and she was holding her flip-flops in one hand. Her hair was up in a ponytail but wisps of her dark locks framed her face. She barely had any make-up on. And to me, she looked perfect.

"Derek?" she asked again as I stared at her full, parted lips. She was still waiting for an answer.

I just gave her a small endearing grin. "She doesn't matter to me," I answered her, reaching out and stroking her cheek.

Casey leaned into my touch. Her skin was soft and cool from the night air. "Do I?" she asked softly. Even though she knew the answer.

I nodded, my small grin becoming a bit wider and a bit more genuine. "You matter a lot to me, Case."

She smiled at that and moved in closer, getting rid of the distance between us. I closed my eyes as I felt her lips softly touch my own.

Perfect.

I slithered my arm around her slender waist and she dropped her flip-flops into the sand as both of her arms went around my neck, clasping behind my head.

The kiss started out very innocent and sweet, but as I felt my need for her increase, I tugged her down into the sand with me. She let out a very un-Casey-like giggle as we fell into the sand, which made me laugh.

My hands snuck under the back of her shirt to feel the smooth expanse of her back. Her skin was always so silky and soft. I pulled her up on top of me and her legs moved to either side of my hips. She was now straddling me. I lowered my hands and pulled her toward me even more, never feeling close enough to her.

"I love you," I heard myself moan against her lips. It just flowed out so naturally that it probably surprised me as much it did her.

She disengaged her lips from mine and moved them across my jaw-line, pressing soft Casey kisses against my skin. When she got to my ear, she whispered something that made my heart stop.

"I want you."


	23. Chapter 23

**Author'sNote: **_You all are so great! (and really funny, too! lol I LOVE reading your reviews so much!) Sorry, but I kept it rated "T" lol... and you'll see why... hehe. Alright, enjoy!_

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He pushed my hair off of my face and stared up into my eyes, searching them.

"What?" he asked hoarsely, as if he hadn't heard what I had said.

I knew he had heard me.

"I want you," I repeated more confidently, and, as if to prove it, I pulled my sweatshirt up and over my head, revealing the tiny tank-top I had on underneath. I pulled that off, too, triumphantly now in a pink-and-white polka-dotted cottony bra. Not a very sexy choice in a bra on my part, but eh.

Derek's jaw dropped. Then his lips curled into a smile. "You're insane!" He reached up and pulled me back down to him.

I laughed and our lips fused together once again. We rolled on the beach so that he was now on top and I was down in the sand. Derek shook his head and sand flew out in all directions from his hair.

"_Derek_!" I chided as I had to close my eyes to prevent sand from getting in them. I opened my eyes when I heard him stop and was pleasantly surprised to see he had taken his own shirt off.

I smiled and ran my hands down his well-toned bare chest. _Not bad at all._

He took my hands with a smirk and laced his fingers through mine. His eyes were dark but gentler than I had ever seen them. He licked his lips and advanced me once again. I giggled when I felt his mouth softly brush against my bare stomach. He pressed tiny wet kisses around my bellybutton and up my ribs.

I smiled, relishing in the feeling. Of course, being Casey, I had to keep talking.

"So…what did Leah do when you left her?" I asked as he continued kissing my belly.

I watched him smirk as he kissed his way up between the valley of my breasts. "I don't know," he said rather sheepishly.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean you don't know?"

He looked up at me, his Derek-smirk still intact. "I just kinda left."

_Oh no…did that mean that…_

Yes, it did.

"Derek!" we both heard a high-pitched gasp.

Leah had gone looking for him.

She was standing there looking furious, her hands on her hips and pink sandal-wearing foot tapping in annoyance. Derek jumped off of me and I scrambled to cover myself with my shirt. Even though it was just a bra, I still had some dignity!

"What are you DOING?" she screeched, now clenching her fists. "You're my date and you're here making out with this…this…" she gave me a strange look. "Wait a minute…I thought she was your sister, Derek."

"_Step_sister," Derek grinned smugly.

My face flushed with embarrassment. Leah's mouth became very O-shaped.

"Ew, that's _disgusting_!" the blonde threw her hands up in the air. "Forget it, Derek, I don't want to have anything to do with you!"

Like she was going to have anything to do with him!

She gave another disgusted snort and flounced away. She tripped on her stupid huge heels as she walked, and Derek had a good chuckle over that.

But I was not amused.

He looked over at me. I didn't look back at him.

"Case? What's wrong?" he sounded confused. As if he hadn't just heard her.

"I'm getting kind of tired. I'm going back," I said to him and started off, leaving him there bewildered in the dust.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: **_lol I know, Casey's kind of acting like a brat. But she's just confused with her feelings and everything... let's go easy on her ;-) So here's the next chapter, thanks for all the reviews! I can't decide if I want this to be the last chapter or not... We'll see. Enjoy!_

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"Wait, Case!" I ran after her. _What the hell had happened?_

She kept walking and staring straight ahead. So, of course, I jumped in front of her. She sighed heavily with annoyance, trying to get away from my block. When she couldn't, she cried in aggravation, "_Derek_!"

"Tell me what's wrong," I said to her.

She looked at me crossly. "Did you NOT just hear what Princess Pink just said?"

I was confused. "Which part?"

Casey gave me a Look. "You know what part."

I was still dumbfounded.

Her eyes narrowed. "We're _disgusting_, Derek. We're _stepbrother_ and _stepsister_. We shouldn't be making out. We shouldn't be having these kind of…feelings for each other."

Her voice wavered on the word "feelings." She looked down, suddenly looking broken.

"It isn't right, Derek. We live together. We share the same house, the same family. It's not like this could ever go anywhere. We couldn't get married or anything."

"Why not?" I challenged her.

She looked up at me at that. Her blue eyes were full of unshed tears and I just wanted to take her into my arms. But I knew that wasn't the right thing to do at that moment.

"Because…because we couldn't…" she stated weakly. I knew she didn't have a good answer for that.

"This is ridiculous, Case," I told her gently. "We care about each other. We want to be together. We're not blood-related." I let out a heavy sigh. "You can't help who you fall in love with, Casey."

I watched a tear slide down her cheek. I reached up and, as gently as I could, brushed it away with the pad of my thumb. She closed her eyes.

"I don't know what to think," she whispered.

"Then don't think about it," I said to her. She shivered and I moved in closer to her.

She opened her eyes and looked back up at me. "Why does it feel so wrong in my head…" she bit her lip. "But so right in my heart?"

I gave her a slow smile. "Because it is right, Casey." Leaning down, I gently brushed my lips against hers and pulled away. Her eyes had fluttered closed. She didn't move and so I leaned in and kissed her again. This time, she kissed me back.

"Besides, it will make for a great story for our kids and grandkids," I murmured against her lips.

She let out a laugh, breaking the kiss. She looked up at me, amused. "Kids and grandkids?"

"Yup," I grinned down at her and pressed my lips against her forehead.

She rolled her eyes affectionately at me and I took her hand in mine.

Together, we walked back to the beach house.


End file.
